


Who?

by SophieD



Series: The Doctor and Sophie [1]
Category: Doctor Who, Leverage, dr who fandom
Genre: F/M, Paris - Freeform, Romance, Science Fiction, TARDIS - Freeform, Theft, con artist
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-26
Updated: 2014-09-26
Packaged: 2018-02-18 19:56:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,261
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2360324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SophieD/pseuds/SophieD
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What would happen if the Tenth Doctor met Sophie Devereaux?  AKA my two crushes collide.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Who?

Who?

It always felt good to be home. Sophie grew up in London and still kept a place there though she didn’t get back often enough. Stealing in her own backyard was always a risk but Sophie was never one to pass up a challenge. When this opportunity presented itself, a Monet being shown at a private residence practically right down the street, well it just had to be. Sophie never was one to tempt fate but if fate needed a little help along the way, well, Sophie was always willing to lend a hand. On this particular night, while Sophie worked her game, the stars were quietly lining up. Tonight, fate would turn her world upside down.

The Monet was one of the water lily scenes that the painter was so fond of. Sophie much preferred the Renaissance artists but she had a certain fondness for the Impressionists. A Monet would bring her quite a bit of money on the black market. It’s not like Sophie really needed the money, to her it’s about the game, keeping up her skills, working her contacts. You never did know when you might need to steal to live again and falling completely out of the game was never an option in Sophie’s book.

The owner of the painting did not advertise his new acquisition. The provenance of the painting was more than a bit shady. It would not be a good thing for someone with a legitimate claim to come and take the painting from him. Instead, the owner invited some of his friends and others who themselves often traded art in the gray or black market, to view the Monet at a private showing at his residence. The party was to be formal. There would be expensive wine and fancy hors d’oeuvres served to those who were lucky enough to receive an invitation. An art thief like Sophie would never be invited to an event such as this. The Lady Charlotte Prentiss, on the other hand, would have no trouble getting herself an invite. This is how Sophie found herself alone in a room with an expensive painting in her hands on that fateful night.  
Climbing through windows and carrying off large framed pieces was never Sophie’s style. She very much preferred the grift over the outright theft. The grift was her game. She was very very good at it. She loved to become someone new, work the crowd and then walk right out the front door with her treasure tucked snugly under her arm. That was the plan anyway. Sophie quietly made her way to the painting room, a box cutter in her hand and began delicately slicing the canvas from its heavy frame. No one noticed her absence and she felt comfortable that the heist was going just as she had hoped it would.

It took a great deal of skill and concentration to remove an old painting from its frame without damaging its worth. Still Sophie was alert to any changes in the room that could mean trouble. She was about halfway through her task when she froze. It’s not as if any of her senses were triggered. It was more of a feeling. The feeling in the room had changed. Someone else was in the room with her. Sophie was always ready with a lie though in this circumstance there was not much she could say to explain the knife in her hand. Still, she turned slowly, ready to try and talk her way out of the situation. Her mouth was open, beginning to spin her tale, when she spied her new companion. No words came to her though as she tried to process the scene. The intruder was a gentleman, leaning on the door frame, his arms crossed. He seemed to be about her age, early 40’s, but it was hard to tell. She noticed his tux, his impossibly skinny frame and even the smirk on his face in that first instant but there was something else about him that threw her off her game. He was a good looking man but that didn’t even really register. It was his eyes that caught her attention. They were dark brown, like hers, but they were so deep that it seemed impossible not to be drawn in to their depths. They danced with merriment at catching her in this precarious situation.  
Sophie was not frightened at being caught at her attempted theft. She rarely felt that emotion. It was more about the game to her, to talk her way out of any situation. This time, however, she didn’t feel she needed to explain with lies and manipulations. The man seemed amused by her. It threw her a bit but Sophie was never at a loss for words and she quickly prepared a few for her intruder. 

The best defense is often a good offense and she chose to interrogate the intruder before he could question her. “Who are you?” She demanded. “Why are you here? I didn’t see you at the party earlier. Were you even invited?” The man didn’t answer but the smirk on his face told her all she needed to know. He was up to no good. He was not going to turn her in. She was safe with him, for the time being. She stared hard at him, waiting for some sort of an answer.

Finally the man stood up straight and smoothed out his tux. He made a motion with his head that she should follow. When she reached back for the painting he shook his head. Apparently he was going to help her escape but she would be leaving her treasure behind. Sophie sighed. It was a long night’s work to be going home without but then again, it could have ended up a good deal worse. She dropped the painting and the knife and followed the man.

He seemed to be familiar with the house and led her round-a-bout, away from the ongoing party and out the door to the street. Once there, he chose a direction and with his back to Sophie, started walking away. “Hey” she said loudly. “Who are you?” He turned back to her, the smile back on his face. “I suppose that is THE question.” He answered. Sophie was not satisfied and held his arm as he tried to turn to leave again. “Tell me.” She said. “Who are you and why did you let me out? And why the Hell did I have to leave MY bloody painting?” The man sighed. Finally he found his voice. “I am the Doctor” he said. “And that little theft you were attempting to perpetrate was going to cause an enormous cascade of incidences that frankly could have meant the end of… well let just say bad things were going to happen if you took that painting.”

Sophie had absolutely no answer for that. It didn’t make any sort of sense at all. Of course a theft of that sort might cause financial difficulties or cause someone to lose trust in a person or business. A cascade of incidences leading to the end of…what? It seemed to be very important to this doctor but she couldn’t see how. Big pictures were never Sophie’s thing. She liked to live in the moment. At this moment, however, the doctor was leaving again. Sophie wasn’t quite done with him. She still had questions and she asked them rapid fire as she followed him away from the party residence and into a park. 

The man finally stopped walking at the edge of a grassy field. He turned toward her again. “I am The Doctor, not a doctor. That’s my name. T-H-E Doctor. You’re just going to have to trust me here that things are going to be much better for you having not stolen that painting.” “How” she asked. “Well, you got to meet me” he replied. The smirk was back and it was hard to tell from his dancing eyes if he was kidding or serious. “Ok THE Doctor, or whatever your name is”. “My name. The Doctor” he mumbled. She continued without acknowledging his words. “What am I supposed to do now? Just go home? I needed that painting. I needed that painting to feed my family.” Sophie lied. There was no family. She didn’t need the painting. She just wanted it and Sophie was used to getting what she wanted. This whole situation was just not working for her and she was looking for someone to vent her anger on. And now she’s alone in an empty park at night with a man that she doesn’t trust and certainly can’t figure out. She shivers in her strapless party dress. The Doctor takes off his coat and puts it over her shoulders. “Go home” he tells her. “Forget the painting. Forget me. Just go. “No” she tells him. “Not until I get some answers. And this coat wouldn’t fit a skeleton!” she exclaimed as she threw it back at him. She shivered again. “Fine” the Doctor tells her. “I suppose you should come inside then before you catch a cold.” 

Sophie looked around the park but couldn’t find any ‘inside’ to speak of. There was nothing near the field except for the forest of trees they were standing on the edge of. The Doctor was digging in his pocket. For what? A key? He began walking into the stand of trees. Sophie peered into the dark but couldn’t make out anything in the shadows. The Doctor had completely disappeared now. Curiosity and the promise of a warm inside drew Sophie along the path the Doctor had taken. Suddenly she came face to face with a blue wooden phone box. No not a phone box, those were red. This one said police box on it. The man was sticking his key into the front door. As is swung open, he stepped half way in and gestured with his arm for Sophie to move closer and look inside. 

Inside was an amazing jumble of tree branch supports in a large room. The center of the room was filled with some sort of pulsing light going straight up to the tall ceiling. Surrounding that was some sort of control station. Honestly, to Sophie, it looked more like someone had collected all sorts of weird gadgets and buttons and levers and had just stuck them all over the place. It was very odd. The Doctor was still standing in the doorway waiting for some sort of reaction. She moved back through the door into the park. The blue box seemed too narrow to house the cavernous interior. Sophie walked all the way around it and was fully convinced that there must be some sort of trick to make something seem so big inside of an exterior structure that seemed so small. 

She stepped back up into the doorway where the Doctor was still leaning against the door frame. As she peered back inside, she finally found some words. The Doctor was looking more and more smug as she chose the words she wanted. As she started to speak, he began to mouth along with her as if he had heard these words many times. It was her time to smile as she finished her thought “It’s smaller on the outside!”

The Doctor was zigzagging up and down the street holding what looked like a giant cell phone with flashing lights and a mini whirling satellite dish on top. He was staring intently at his funny machine, changing directions with every beep and squack. It seemed as if he were looking for something but what that something could be was a mystery to everyone happened to notice him. About a mile and a half into his bizarre journey, his machine made a loud buzzing sound and nearly jumped out of his hand. The Doctor froze in his tracks, still staring at the machine before looking up at the expensive looking house in front of him. He smiled, excitement lighting up his eyes. This definitely was the place he was looking for. What he was looking for was still to be determined though. 

He noticed people milling in and out of the house, carrying tables, linens, flowers, food and such. They were hired help setting up for a party. These were the people that the Doctor liked. Working people. People who would stop and chat with a stranger for a bit. He stopped a nice looking young woman carrying a large box of plates. Could he help her carry? Would she mind answering a few questions? The young woman did not give up her load but she was happy to tell the Doctor all about the upcoming evening’s activities. The owner of the expensive house was throwing a party, a shin dig she called it. Apparently he had just purchased an important painting and he wanted to show it off. He had invited many influential people to come to his shin dig. She and the rest of the hired hands were busy making sure that everything would be perfect for the owner’s guests. The Doctor smiled and bowed and thanked her for the chat. He packed up his funny little machine and walked off the way he had come, in a straighter line of course.  
Several hours later, as dusk was beginning to fall, the Doctor found himself in front of the party house again. This time he was dressed for the occasion. He looked very good in his black tux and long coat. He knew he looked good. He smiled to himself as he pulled a thin wallet from the inside pocket of his jacket. He opened it up and looked inside at the single sheet of blank paper. It was not an invitation to the party. It was much better than that. It was his all access pass to anywhere in the universe. It was psychic paper. It would say anything he wanted it to. Tonight, he showed it to the man watching the door and the man nodded for him to enter. The man saw only what the Doctor wanted him to see, a proper invitation to the party. To Doctor gave him the slightest of bow in gratitude and stepped into the ornate foyer. 

The party was in full swing. The Doctor moved to the ballroom where several hundred people in formal attire were mingling, glasses of champagne in one hand, tasty tidbits of caviar topped treats in the other. The Doctor passed on the wine but grabbed several hors d’oeuvres, popping them in his mouth with a smile. “I do love salty little fish eggs” he said enthusiastically to a passing party-goer. She ignored him. He shrugged. Some people just don’t know how to have fun at a party. 

The Doctor didn’t forget that he was here for a reason. Something in this house was putting off a type of radiation. It was not the type that would hurt anyone, not even one that was detectable to most people. The Doctor was not most people. He knew this radiation and it only meant one thing to him. Alien. Something alien was hiding in this house and he needed to find it. The radiation that was emanating from the alien object was a signal. The signal was being sent deep into space, to an alien ship, a ship that was watching and waiting. It was waiting for the return of one of its occupants. The signal was sending a message that everything was fine, that whoever was here in this house was alive and well. He (she or it) would signal that their mission was done. They were ready to be picked up. This was going to happen tonight. If that signal did not happen, there was a very good chance that those on the alien ship would come looking for their compatriot. They would destroy anyone or anything in their way. The Doctor was here to make sure that nothing would happen to either the signal or the alien. He would see the exchange done and let the beings on the alien ship know that they were never to return to this planet. Ever. He would make sure of that too.

The Doctor wandered the room, talking to people here and there, eating his fish eggs and looking as if he were immensely enjoying the party. If any one had bothered to look, they would have noticed that he kept his left hand deep in the pocket of his coat. In that pocket he held a miniature version of his wild whirling and beeping contraption. He was using the little machine to guide him around the perimeter of the room, feeling it become more and more agitated as he moved toward the back of the house to a closed door.  
He paused with his hand on the knob of the door. He casually looked around to see if anyone was watching. Slowly he pushed the door open and peaked in. He found exactly what he expected to find. A painting. A painting that definitely did not belong in a room such as this. He had found his alien object. He also found something else. He found a woman. She was dressed as if she was to be at the party but he knew she very much wasn’t. He leaned against the door frame, his arms crossed, waiting to see what the woman was doing. It looked like she was trying to steal the panting. She had it on the floor and was trying to cut the canvas from the frame. The Doctor was not shocked by this. He had met thieves before. Thieves didn’t bother him, in fact many times they amused him. They were often more interesting than those who called themselves honest. The Doctor did not value art and colored rocks as humans did so he had no care about who acquired them and how. The Doctor did care about this painting though. This was not just a beautiful bit of painting. This was the radiation carrying signal. However much the thief wanted this painting, he could not allow her to remove it from the premises. To do that would be to alert the alien ship to trouble and that was the sort of trouble that even the Doctor could not fix. No, he was going to have to stop this thief.

The Doctor was very good at not being noticed. In spite of his often inappropriate clothing choices and sometimes weird behaviors, he held himself in a way that most people could trust and therefore few actually stopped to focus their attention on him. Unless he wanted to be noticed that is. Right now he wanted to be noticed. He changed his energy in a way that only people who are very sensitive to such things could do. The thief noticed it immediately, her senses hyper aware due to her chosen profession. She turned toward him and looked him straight in the eye. She was not afraid though she should have been, being caught in the act. She was more curious. She wanted answers and she was not afraid to ask questions, lots of them.

It was time that he, and the thief, should be vacating the premises. Things were going to happen and the Doctor didn’t want to be having to explain them to this woman. He waved his hand that she should follow him. She turned to grab the painting that really wasn’t a painting and he shook his head. She understood his meaning but she was already forming words to complain. He just turned and left the room, fully expecting her to follow. He led her away from the party, no more awkward questions to try and answer, and out the front door to the street. Once out into the cool night air, he turned to leave but she was having none of that. She grabbed his arm and pulled him back into the conversation. “Who are you?” she demanded. He gave her a flip answer, not really wanting to prolong the relationship more than necessary. She was not at all satisfied and wanted him to answer properly and she wanted him to explain why he made her leave the painting. “I’m the Doctor” he answered, “and very bad things were going to happen if someone stole that painting.” Satisfied that he had answered all of her questions sufficiently, he turned once again and walked away. He could hear her footsteps as she began to follow and the questions started again. 

He walked back to the park where he had hidden his TARDIS. He was hoping that he would finally be able to convince the woman to leave him alone if he gave her just a few more vague answers to her questions. As soon as he turned to look at the woman again, he knew instantly that this was going to be much more than a short conversation. He tried anyway. “Not a doctor. THE doctor. My name is The Doctor.” The woman didn’t even pause to acknowledge that he had said anything. She was still prattling on about leaving the painting, now much she needed it, family and more stuff that he just didn’t believe. He knew that she was a thief, very good thief and a liar. She wanted that painting as an acquisition rather than to sell it for money. That’s what thieves did. Not that he minded thieves. He’d met quite a few actually and many of them were perfectly nice people. This woman seemed to be a nice thief, if she would just let it go and be happy with the fact that she was out of the house alive. The Doctor thought about that, about her being alive and finally took a few seconds to really see the woman. He had to admit that she was stunningly gorgeous. She had darker skin than most in this area, her hair was black and her eyes a very intelligent shade of dark brown. She began to shiver. She wasn’t dressed for cool London night. Always the gentleman, he wrapped his jacket around her shoulders. The Doctor didn’t often feel more than just affection for a human but the thought did quickly pass through his mind that she might be someone he could be more interested in. No. That was a ridiculous idea. He was a loner. He always travelled alone. He was meant to be alone. He told the woman that she should leave, to go home and forget about the painting and him. 

The woman did not turn to leave. In fact she threw his jacket back at him with more words. The Doctor sighed. He didn’t really think she would have left. Leaving untidy endings was definitely not her style. She shivered again and he ran his fingers through his messy hair before deciding that he might as well let her in out of the cold. Besides, he really did love showing people his TARDIS for the first time. He reveled in their shock and inevitable statement that it was “bigger on the inside”. That pleased him and why not have a bit of fun tonight since she obviously wasn’t going to leave any time soon.

He led the woman to the TARDIS hidden in the dark space between some trees. He quickly unlocked the door and leaned against the door-jam in the way he liked while his guest peered into the cavernous interior of the TARDIS. The woman did not disappoint. She looked inside with shock and surprise and just the right amount of curiosity. He thought she might really provide him with some fun and company for a bit. She certainly wasn’t frightened of new things. She backed away, as his guests always did, and began to inspect the exterior of the TARDIS. Finally back to the opening where he leaned, she did as they always did and stuck their heads back inside before speaking. He knew the words. He had heard them so many times. He liked to mouth the words along with the speaker so when the woman finally spoke, he was ready with his well-rehearsed line. He mouthed along “its bi…..WHAT?” He was surprised. The woman did not do the expected. She said her own words “It’s smaller on the outside”. The Doctor had no answer for her. All of his flip responses were useless and he just stared at her with his mouth hanging open. She looked at him and smiled a bit. Whatever the game was she had just turned the tables and struck the opening blow. He smiled back. He liked this woman. He was sure now that she would be an interesting companion for a little jaunt around the Universe. 

The Doctor gestured for her to follow him inside and she did without hesitation. Once inside, she spun a slow 360 degrees then asked, “What is this place?” He answered her, “It’s my TARDIS.” She nodded, accepting the answer as if she had heard of people having a TARDIS every day. “It’s my space ship he added.” Again she nodded. He was curious now, how far could he push her before she would break. “I’m an alien”. No reaction. “A Time Lord! I travel through time?” This time she looked at him but still no shock and no surprise. She should have questions. In the short time he’s known her, the woman has been full of questions. She squints her eyes a bit. She’s waiting for him to offer another tidbit of information. “You’re human. I’m not. Did you get that?” She nodded again, this time he can see the beginnings of a smile. She’s playing with him. She’s got him rocked back on his heels when it should be her who is uncomfortable, or at least showing some sort of the awe he expected of others when making his acquaintance. He was a Time Lord after all. He was to be respected, feared even. If he thought about it though, he was truly impressed by her and her ability to play along with the likes of him.

The man finally gestured that Sophie should enter his strange contraption. It was very bright inside, blinding her for a second. As her eyes adjusted, she began to notice things that were quite unusual, with the…what did he call it? A TARDIS? What the Hell did that mean anyway? No matter. He clearly wanted something from her. She wasn’t exactly clear what it was that he was expecting though. Was she supposed to be frightened? Or in awe? He kept saying more and more outrageous things and watching her carefully to see what she might do. Well, Sophie was no amateur at these sort of games. She was not a thief. She was a grifter. Any good grifter knows how to read a room and knows exactly how to behave to fit the situation. Sophie wasn’t a good grifter either. She was a great grifter, one of the best. In this case, she was determined not to give the predicted reaction. No, she was going to let the man go on and on with his outrageous claims while she pretended to have absolutely no thoughts on any of the subjects. She was having fun and she wanted to see where this all was going to go. When the man finally claimed to be a time traveler. What did he call it a Time Lord? And that he wasn’t human? Well that was truly funny and Sophie couldn’t help to letting a smile creep onto her face. 

The Doctor shook his head. There weren’t many humans he didn’t understand and even fewer that were able to confuse him like this. Her actions and reactions were completely unpredictable. Most were like children to him. This woman wasn’t a child. The more minutes he stood looking at her, the more he was noticing that child would be the last thing anyone would ever think to call her.  
It was warmer inside the TARDIS but the woman was still chilled. He told her to wait, he would go change and bring her something warm to wear, if she wished to stay that is. She nodded. Of course she would want to stay. He is the Doctor. Who wouldn’t want to spend time in his presence? He turned toward the back of the room and then looked back over his shoulder at her. “Umm. What is your name??” “Sophie,” she answered. “Sophie. Good. Sophie? Don’t touch anything OK?” The woman just looked at him, innocence all over her face. Yeah, this whole situation was going to end up being trouble. He knew it. He also knew that he loved trouble and getting into trouble with Sophie was looking to be a great deal of fun. 

The Doctor walked a round-about platform surrounding the center of the room and disappeared into some sort of corridor that Sophie had not yet noticed. She spun a circle again, this time taking in more details. The room was round, kind of like the inside of a pumpkin once the seeds were all scraped out. Branches of whatever the walls were made of seemed to grow from the floor and connect to the ceiling. Supports? Or some sort of weird decoration. Sophie wasn’t sure. She reached out to touch one of the branches then quickly pulled it back. That was definitely weird she thought as she laid her palm back on the surface. It was warm and a little bit soft. She could feel a pulsing deep inside. It was as if the whole thing was alive and she was touching the skin, feeling the heartbeat and the blood flowing through its veins. She thought about what the Doctor had said, that he was an alien. Sophie thought he was joking but she was beginning to feel as if he might be telling the truth. This thing that she was touching, well, it certainly seemed alien to her. 

She left her hand flat against the branch, feeling very comforted by the feeling of life inside while she continued to explore the room with her eyes. The focal point of the room was in the dead center as if it had been the first and the rest was built to accommodate it. It was a control panel of sorts, though none like Sophie had ever seen. It looked as if someone had gone to a junkyard and found any little button, lever or piece of electronics and threw them all together. The console was round, its random parts sticking out and flashing in no particular order. In the center was a large round vertical tube. Light pulsed through it, moving from the floor to the ceiling. Even from the edge of the room, Sophie could feel the intense energy of the core inside. Surrounding all of that was a platform on which Sophie was standing and the Doctor had used to circle the console to the back of the room. It seemed to be made of that metal no slip grating that was often used to cover drains or work holes in the street. Through the honeycombed metal she could see to the floor which seemed to be quite a ways down. Boxes and storage bins were haphazardly stacked in places all around the underbelly. 

Sophie shook her head, not really believing yet what her senses were telling her. She came to the conclusion that she really only had two options. She could believe what the Doctor guy was telling her about aliens and space travel or she could decide that this was all some elaborate ruse, something perfectly terrestrial. Personally, she thought the alien story to be much more interesting.  
The Doctor emerged from his passageway in the back of the room. He was surprised to see Sophie still standing very close to where he had left her. He had fully expected that she would have gotten herself into some sort of trouble. Was it just a little bit of disappointment that he felt? He was usually pleased when visitors actually did what he asked of them. He should be happy that she wasn’t into his stuff. He wasn’t. He wanted her to challenge him. He had thought he wanted to be alone but now, just now, he thought that he would really like to have this woman Sophie, in his life for a while. 

Sophie heard footsteps on metal coming from the back of the room. She looked back to see the Doctor returning. He had changed his clothes but, to change from a tuxedo to a suit and tie seemed to be a bit pointless. As he approached, he tossed a bundle of clothing to her. She began to unfold the clothes. They were odd, not exactly fashionable and the fabrics were strange feeling but they looked comfortable and warm. She reached back to unhook the back of her dress and let it slip to the floor. The Doctor looked shocked. She allowed herself another little smile. Dropping her clothes to dress in front of someone, usually a mark, put her in a position of power. Men especially, were often too stunned to offer any resistance to whatever request she was about to make. The Doctor, while something of an odd duck, seemed to fall right into the trap that so many before had. As she pulled the new clothes on and kicked her shoes and dress off to the side, she asked if he could please show her around and explain a few things.  
The Doctor hardly knew what to say. He had certainly seen beings disrobe before and was perfectly comfortable with the naked body. He was just not used to it happening like this. Most humans were painfully shy when it came to their bodies, something he never really understood. For a human woman to just drop her clothes in front of a stranger, a male stranger especially, was very uncommon. Not that he didn’t appreciate the view. The Doctor found all women beautiful but this one was especially gorgeous. He quickly averted his eyes, not letting those kind of thoughts invade his brain. Attachments, especially the kind that he was briefly considering were painful. Too painful. He had sworn that he would never let himself feel that kind of pain again. 

Sophie was talking again. She wanted more answers. She wanted him to show her around his home and she wanted to know everything about everything. Now that she was covered again, he allowed himself to look at her and begin an extensive tour of his TARDIS. Sophie was very bright. She caught on to everything, asked lots of questions and thought carefully about his answers. She had been on the TARDIS only a short while but she probably knew as much or more than those who had traveled with him for months or even years. Of course the TARDIS was just the beginning of the adventure and he felt a warm tingle inside when he thought of the places he could show her and the things they could do together. He felt his cheeks pinken at that random bit of runaway thought. Sophie noticed and smiled. She noticed just about everything.

Sophie was finding this man who called himself The Doctor to be fascinating. She still wasn’t sure if it was all real or not but she was really hoping it was. The man himself was a character. He had dressed himself in a blue pinstriped suit over a light blue shirt and a blue tie. He wore trainers on his feet, red high top Converse from the looks of them. His hair was a wild mess, standing up in all directions, as if it had a mind of its own. The whole ensemble made him look like a young boy playing dress up in his daddy’s clothes but the Doctor was definitely not young. His face made him look to be about 40 but his eyes were much much older. They were very deep and Sophie could see lifetimes of joy and pain reflected in them. They seemed to be sad eyes, the pain much more pronounced than the joy but, if she looked carefully, she could find it. He was obviously very intelligent and very quick with a word. He made her laugh and he made her think and she liked that. She liked it a lot. 

“So are you going to show me around this contraption?” Sophie asked? “And what about food? Is there any? All I’ve had this evening are a few of those little caviar things at the party.” The Doctor nodded and motioned for her to follow. He gave her the grand tour of the TARDIS, sleeping rooms, dressing rooms, play rooms. Even a swimming pool, which strangely shared a room with his fantastic library. That was where they were now. Sitting on the floor in the library. The Doctor brought out an array of strange fruits and breads. He began scrounging around in a corner and finally emerged from the shadows with a big grin on his face and a bottle of wine in his hand. Sophie looked carefully at the bottle and her eyes widened. “Is this what I think it is?” The Doctor nodded, his grin growing even bigger. He had finally elicited a suitable reaction from the woman. Interesting that alien ships and the idea of time travel didn’t seem to bother her but an old bottle of wine was something to be in awe of. Humans. He never would understand humans.

Sophie was still staring at the bottle, her hands reaching out to touch it. The Doctor handed it to her and she began to inspect it closely, turning it round and round in her hands, sniffing the cork and the paper label, tapping on the glass and listening to the vibration. Finally she looked up at him. “If this isn’t real, it’s an amazingly good forgery. Better than I’ve ever seen. This isn’t real right?” He nodded. “Of course it’s real. I can still remember the day Thomas Jefferson handed it to me. He said “Doctor, hold on to this one. I have a feeling it’s going to be special one day.” Sophie shook her head at him. “We can’t open this. Do you even know what its worth?” The Doctor shrugged his shoulders. “Psh” he said. It’s not worth anything to me. I can go back and get another any time I want. Tommy J wanted me to share it with someone special and, well, you are special, so I think this is the perfect time to open it.” Sophie shrugged. How often was she going to get an opportunity to drink a 200 year old bottle of wine? She began to work the cork. She looked to the Doctor for glasses and he just winked at her. ‘What the Hell’ she thought “why not?” She brought the bottle to her lips and took a small sip. She had always heard that Jefferson wine was exquisite but no words came to mind. She took another drink before handing the bottle to the Doctor. He took a swig for himself before dropping himself to the floor next to her and handing the bottle back.

Sophie and the Doctor spent the evening, and perhaps part of the next day just talking. (It was hard to tell time inside of the TARDIS) The wine and fruit were long gone but the two were happy just to sit and chat. Sophie was getting tired and moved closer to the Doctor so she could lean against him and rest her head on his shoulder. The Doctor hadn’t been this close to anyone in a long time and the physical contact felt good. Before he knew it, Sophie had slid down and was resting her head on his lap, her breathing slowing as she drifted off to sleep. The Doctor smiled and petted her hair then leaned himself against the wall behind him and let his eyes close as well. He tried to identify the feeling he had inside, it was one he hadn’t felt in a very long time. Different words flowed through his mind before he settled on ‘contentment’. He was content. He liked it. 

It was a good 5 or 6 hours before Sophie began to stir. The Doctor slid out from under her as she began to sit up and stretch. He was wiggling his legs, trying to get some sort of feeling back to his dead limbs. Sophie, embarrassed by the whole situation, trying to fluff her hair and apologize. The Doctor waved her off and stood, wobbling just a bit on his still tingling legs. “Tea?” He asked. “You need tea. Everywhere I travel, nothing is as good as a cuppa good old Earl Grey! I always keep a stash somewhere. I’ll be right back.” He dashed out the door leaving Sophie still trying to figure out what happened last night? How had she ended up in a bizarre library, swimming pool, something, sleeping on a strange man? “Oh God, I hope I didn’t drool” she thought, wiping her mouth self-consciously.

The Doctor returned with two large mugs of tea and handed one to Sophie. She sniffed it suspiciously, no telling what this man might come up with at any time. To her satisfaction it was just as he had promised, hot Earl Grey with just the right amount of milk added. She took a sip. It was amazing how a good cuppa tea could bring a person back to life!

looked up to see the Doctor still standing there. His grin was back. “Fancy a little trip?” he asked. Sophie shrugged. Without the painting to fence, she had no real plans for the time being. “Where?” She asked. He shrugged. “Anywhere you want to go.” “Anywhere?” She asked again. The Doctor nodded. “Any time even. Isn’t there any one you ever wanted to meet? Somewhere you always wished you could go? Anywhere in time or space!” Sophie looked dubious but the Doctor seemed to be full of surprises. If this was true, it would be the opportunity of a lifetime. She thought for a minute and kings and queens, heroes and geniuses. It would be quite a lark to go visit one of the painters who’s work she had spent so much time studying. Then Sophie started thinking along a different line. Anyone would choose to meet Queen Elizabeth I or Van Gogh. She wanted to meet someone in a completely different line of work. Someone who had inspired her in her chosen career.

August 21, 1911. France. Paris to be exact.

The Doctor racked his brains trying to connect Sophie’s request to a point in history, something that he could remember that would make the day special. He couldn’t come up with a thing.  
He led Sophie back to the large room and to the console. He showed her how to input a time and a place. “That’s it?” She asked. “More or less” he replied, “the TARDIS will do the rest. Of course she sometimes has a mind of her own so….anyway, just push this big red button here and pull this lever and we’re off.” As Sophie reached for the button then the lever, he remembered one more important thing. Just before the TARDIS lurched to life, he remembered to yell “And hold on!” Sophie was thrown back into a rail behind her and grabbed it with both hands as the machine bumped and buckled beneath her feet. Suddenly a deafening screech filled the room. It sounded to Sophie as if someone were tearing metal apart with large gusts of air. She wanted to cover her ears but she was too busy holding on to the rail for dear life.  
The ride smoothed out for a few minutes and Sophie watched the Doctor dancing around the console, checking screens, moving levers and pushing buttons. Too soon the screeching started again. This time Sophie knew to grab onto something and she was prepared when the TARDIS landed with a big bump.  
The Doctor went to the door and peeked out. He turned back to her with a big smile. He gestured to her to come see. Sophie peered out the door to see a turn of the century Paris with wide dirt streets, horses and buggies and a few simple cars putt-putting down the road. She looked at the Doctor with amazement sparking in her eyes. He looked back and smiled again. He felt happy that he could make her happy.  
Sophie was ready to head straight out the door but the Doctor suggested that perhaps she should change her clothes so not to stand out too much. He showed her back to the dressing room where she picked out a frilly Victorian gown complete with corset and full petticoat. She put her hair up on top of her head, and secured with an expensive looking hairpiece. She pulled ringlets down to frame her face. The outfit was completed with a thick silver chocker with a large emerald dangling from it and a pair of high buttoned shoes. She left the dressing room, back to the Doctor. She twirled for him and was pleased to see that he found her attractive in her costume.  
The Doctor took her elbow and lead her out the door to the Paris street. She turned to look back at the TARDIS as he put the key into the door. It surprised her a bit to see the small blue wooden box again. She was comfortable with the inside now and she had forgotten the deception perpetrated on those on the outside.  
The Doctor took her elbow again and said “Where to m’lady?” to which Sophie replied “To the Louvre of course”. As they walked Sophie explained her choice of destination to the Doctor. She told him about Eduardo de Valfierno, one of the greatest con artists of all time. He was a genius grifter, she told him. He invented one of her favorite cons, one that is still in use today. In fact, she told him, she had recently been involved with another grifter who used this exact scheme to steal a Van Gogh.  
The con itself is very simple. It’s the execution that requires, not only a greatly talented grifter, but also a more than competent thief. A target painting is identified to be stolen. Before the actual theft occurs though, the grifter has several forgeries of the painting made. He then puts out word to collectors who are willing to pay greatly for a stolen painting that he plans to steal the original and sell it to them. The more buyers who pay the better, each one thinking that they will own the original.  
Eduardo de Valfierno invented the scheme and pulled it off in 1911. He arranged to have the Mona Lisa stolen then sold it to 6 different collectors. No one was the wiser until the thief that de Valfierno hired decided two years later to sell the original painting. He was caught and the Mona Lisa returned to the museum. By the time the 6 buyers realized that they had paid for very expensive fakes, Eduardo was long gone.  
“It really was brilliant!” she exclaims, excitement dancing in her eyes. The doctor, while not exactly condoning this sort of escapade, couldn’t help but be amused by the enthusiasm and joy in her eyes.  
“So what exactly is supposed to happen today?” he asks. She smiles even bigger. “Today is the day that one of de Valfierno’s thieves will steal the Mona Lisa from the museum. I have often wished I could be there to see the world’s most famous painting walk out the door of the Louvre.” “Well, we had better hurry then” the Doctor told her as he picked up the pace. “We wouldn’t want to have come all this way and miss such a momentous event.”  
Once inside the museum, the Doctor and Sophie positioned themselves to keep an eye on the Mona Lisa while, at the same time, being sure that they were not going to be seen and scare off any would be thief. While they waited, Sophie shivered in anticipation and reached for the Doctors hand. If he was surprised, he didn’t show it. He didn’t move his hand away either. It felt good in Sophie’s hand. It made him feel content again.  
Just before closing time, as the docents were beginning to move visitors toward the front of the building, a gentleman wearing a museum jacket came to stand and admire the Mona Lisa. He glanced over his shoulder several times. Sophie squeezed the Doctor’s hand hard. This was it. They were about to witness the daring crime that would complete one of the greatest art cons in history.  
The museum worker removed his jacket and looked around one more time. Without hesitating, he moved to the painting and lifted it carefully off of the wall. He wrapped it in his jacket and tucked the whole thing under his arm. One more glance to make sure no one saw him and he slowly walked to the front of the museum and out the front door.  
Sophie practically squealed with glee and clapped her hands softly as if applauding a great performance. The Doctor laughed quietly, happy to see her so pleased then he reached for her hand and they walked together out the door to the street.  
The Doctor and Sophie walked hand in hand down the tree lined street. They didn’t talk. They didn’t need to. The Doctor could feel the happy energy radiating off of Sophie and it made him feel happy. It was a nice feeling, being happy. In whatever he did, he always made a point to have fun but to actually be happy? It had been a very long time since he had felt that. He looked sideways at Sophie and wondered what it was that was making him feel this way. On the outside, she was just another human. He really didn’t know much more than that about her. Still there was something special about this particular human. Right at that moment, it didn’t matter much to him. He was living in the moment and the moment made him feel good.  
They walked together in silence for several miles before coming to a little café with tables on the sidewalk. The Doctor gestured to Sophie and she nodded. They took their seats and ordered bread and cheese and wine from the waiter. This amused the Doctor as well. He really didn’t drink alcohol, not like humans did anyway. Humans drank for so many reasons and none of them seemed to appeal to the Doctor. Not to say he didn’t enjoy a bit of wine every century or so and, here with Sophie in the center of turn of the century Paris, it seemed like a perfectly normal thing to do. He raised his glass to toast and Sophie brought hers up to his with a smile. They ate their food and drank their wine and chatted about things that seemed to be perfectly natural to chat about, the weather, French authors and the theater. They also talked about things to come and people yet to be born, the sorts of things only a time traveler would know.

The Doctor marveled at Sophie’s knowledge on a wide range of subjects. Of course she was limited to things that had happened in her time line but she truly was a pleasure to talk to. He thought about how much fun he could have showing her his world, the universe that was his playground. He wondered if she would even be interested in traveling with him. It was difficult, he knew. Difficult to give up everyone and everything she had ever known. Traveling would change her. Some humans couldn’t deal with that. They never were comfortable living in the vastness of the Universe yet they couldn’t go home and live within the confines of their previous reality. 

He sighed. He didn’t want Sophie to change. He liked her just as she was, right here, right now. He briefly considered making a home here in Paris, 1911, giving up his travels and settling down. He knew that could never happen. Sophie was human. She would grow old and she would leave him. They always left him one way or another. Besides, this wasn’t her time. She didn’t belong here. He knew he was going to have to take her home. He could ask her to come with him. He would like that. He would like that very much. He also knew that he would eventually get his heart broken. No matter how much he tried to not feel, he always ended up in pain. Perhaps he should just take her home and leave her now, try to lessen the devastating heart ache that he knew was coming.

Sophie noticed the Doctor’s change in mood. He had been so vivacious, talking wildly and gesturing about all sorts of absurd things. Now he was quiet. His eyes had lost their sparkle. He looked as if he might cry. She wondered if it was something she had said or done? She couldn’t think of anything she had said that would upset him like that. She smiled at him and covered his hand with hers. He raised his sad eyes to meet hers. “I think it’s time I took you home” he told her. She wanted to ask him why? What had she done or said? Did he not fancy her anymore? Had he grown weary of her conversation? He was so brilliantly smart, she must seem like an idiot to him. Or had the realization that she did not lead an honest life finally become more important to him than her company? She wanted to ask him all of these things. Instead she just nodded and quietly said “ok”. She let go of his hand and turned bac toward the way they had come without looking again at his face.

The Doctor felt devastated. The look in Sophie’s eyes made his heart hurt even more than he imagined it could. He didn’t want her to leave. He didn’t understand it yet but he knew he needed her to be with him, even if it was just for the short span of a human life. He stood to follow her, dropping the few Francs he had in his pocket onto the table. He hurried to catch up.

Sophie knew, despite his sudden disinterest in her, she couldn’t just walk away from him, not yet anyway. She still needed a ride back to where she had come from. She slowed a bit to let him catch her. She did not look at him and so she was surprised when he slid his hand back into hers. It felt good there. She let herself smile just a tiny. Maybe he did still like her after all. She had no idea where any of this might lead but she thought maybe, with his hand in hers, that she might like to find out. 

The Doctor and Sophie walked hand in hand back to the TARDIS, neither of them talking, content with their own thoughts. Once inside, the Doctor dropped her hand and moved to the center console and began fiddling with his machine. Finally he spoke “Should I take you home then?” he asked. Sophie shrugged. “If you like. Or maybe you could pick some place interesting this time?” She slowly began to grin. “Haven’t you ever wished to go someplace new Doctor? Anywhere in time and space?” The Doctor grinned himself. “Oh yes!” he yelled. “Oh yes! I know just the place!” Sophie felt good to hear the joy in his voice again. “Hold on” he yelled as the TARDIS lurched and the screeching began. Sophie didn’t need to cover her ears this time. She was beginning to love that sound. It meant the beginning of an adventure. Sophie loved adventure. She was also beginning to love to adventure with the Doctor and his hand in hers.  
The Doctor was still grinning like a madman when the TARDIS bumped to a stop. The Doctor ran to the door and flung it open. “Sophie come!” he exclaimed. “Come see my favorite place in the whole of the Universe.” 

Who could turn down an invitation like that? Sophie moved to the door next to the Doctor. The scene before her took her breath away. If she were to try to put what she was seeing into words she would probably talk about the setting in ‘The Sound of Music.” Endless rolling hills of grass spread out in every direction, framed by impossibly tall snow covered mountains. The colors though, they were so much more vivid than any Sophie had ever seen before and they were just a tick off. Instead of bright green, the grass was more of a blue. The sky was blindingly bright with 2 golden suns shining over the mountains, making them sparkle like they were made of diamonds. The air was warm and the smells that filled her senses were sweet and light and reminded her of honeysuckle. Altogether, the whole scene was straight from a fairy tale. 

“Can we go out?” she asked, wonder clearly in her voice. “Of course” the Doctor answered. “Why don’t you go change into something more..umm..” “Comfortable?” She asked. “Appropriate? Revealing?” The Doctor nodded then blushed when he realized what she had offered. He wasn’t sure what to say. He started with “uh…”but wasn’t getting much farther than that. “I’ll find something” Sophie laughed as she headed off toward the wardrobe room. “Uh, yeah” the Doctor tried again. “You do that and I will, uh..find us something to uh…yeah..” He shook his head at himself as he heard Sophie’s laughter begin anew.  
The Doctor dragged himself back to the present and began digging for a blanket and picnic basket. He filled it with more fruit and other tidbits of food he had lying around. No wine this time. He was certain he had had enough wine for a while. He was having more than enough trouble keeping his mind clear as it was. 

By the time Sophie emerged from the back of the TARDIS, he had spread his blanket on the grass outside the door and laid out two plates with food on them. He looked up as Sophie came to the edge and sat down next to him. She had found a very attractive sundress to wear. It was sleeveless and cut to a low V in the front. The hem didn’t quite make to her knee and when she sat and stretched her legs in front of her, it rode up to mid-thigh. She had let her hair down and it cascaded around her face, perfectly framing her striking features and deep brown eyes. He tried hard to hide it but Sophie noticed the Doctors eyes as they took her in. She always dressed for attention. It was part of her game. Today she felt happy that the Doctor appreciated her efforts. 

Sophie scooted a bit closer to him along the edge of the blanket before she turned her attention to the plate in front of her. She nibbled on bits to be polite but she wasn’t really hungry. She noticed the Doctor wasn’t interested in eating either. She was still looking down at her plate, wondering what was really going on. She hadn’t stopped to process the crazy things that had happened since the Doctor caught her stealing the Monet. If she were to tell the story, no one would believe her, but right now, in this idyllic setting, it all seemed perfectly normal. From the corner of her eye she caught the Doctor looking at her again. She turned her head to look at him and watched as a string of emotions flashed through his eyes. Surprise. Embarrassment. Amusement. Then something else. It was so fleeting that she almost missed it but Sophie was a professional. She never missed a cue. She was sure of what she saw though the Doctor hid it immediately. She smiled and moved her face closer to his. It was his turn now. She had seen what he wanted and now it was up to him to admit it or not. He was battling himself, his better judgment against his desire. Finally, desire won out and he leaned in to kiss her. 

The kiss was slow at first, almost tentative. He was not used to sharing himself with anyone. Connections only led to heartache but, right now, he didn’t care. He wanted this woman. It had been so long since he had let himself feel anything at all and right now all he wanted was to feel this woman.  
Sophie leaned farther into the kiss and rested her hand on his thigh. The touch of her hand and the warmth of her lips was making it hard for the Doctor to think. He raised one hand to her cheek and she murmured and leaned into his hand. The Doctor was beyond all rational thought now. He didn’t care about what might happen later. His only thought was to pull Sophie closer into him. He moved his hand to the back of her neck, deepening the kiss. She let him pull her closer and closer until their bodies were touching. Slowly she leaned into him. Pushing him back onto the warm grass behind him. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tight. They were no longer kissing, just laying with their bodies pressed close together, their noses touching. Sophie sighed and closed her eyes. The Doctor moved his hand to her hair and let his fingers tangle in it before pulling them slowly out then starting again. Sophie was content just to lie close with the Doctor, occasionally brushing his lips with hers, holding him tight. It had been a very long time since she had let anybody this close to her, physically or emotionally and what she was feeling now was better than she could ever remember. She was sure that the Doctor felt exactly the same way. They were two loners that had made a connection. Right now that was enough to make both of them happy.

The two suns sank slowly behind the mountains but neither was interested in moving away. Time seemed insignificant as they fell asleep, still wrapped together. Deep in the night, Sophie shivered and the Doctor reached to pull the blanket over her before wrapping his arm back to keep her warm. Her contented sigh as she snuggled in to his embrace was enough warm him and he slowly drifted back to sleep.  
Sophie slowly began to wake, feeling warm sun on her face. She tried to open her eyes but the blinding light made her close them quickly. She lay quiet for a bit, just thinking and dozing. She had had the strangest dream. In her dream she had met a gorgeous man and they had spent a wonderful day together. As dreams tended to do, this one took a strange turn. The man took her into his wonderfully strange contraption and they had gone back in time to a Paris that she had only seen in photographs. Later they landed in a grassy meadow that seemed both familiar and strange where they had spent the night together. Although bizarre, the dream was both warm and comforting. Though it was just a dream, Sophie wished at least part of it had been true, especially the part about the man. He had been so handsome and so sweet and just a little bit mysterious, the kind of man that Sophie was drawn to. If she thought really hard, she could almost feel where his body had wrapped around hers while she slept.

Sophie smiled to herself as she stretched and rolled over. She tried to open her eyes again, this time slowly. She felt grass beneath her cheek. That was curious. As her eyes gradually adjusted to the light she could see a blue phone box with its door wide open. Inside was a large room, bathed in yellow, and a man in a brown suit pacing back and forth. She opened her eyes wide and sat up with a start. It was just like she remembered from her dream. She considered for a second that she might still be dreaming but when her head began to swim from the sudden movement, she realized that it all was true. 

The Doctor was pacing back and forth, thinking and worrying. More than anything, he wanted to stay here on this idyllic planet. With Sophie. The TARDIS would provide them anything they would ever need. In his heart though, he knew it never could be. He never was able to stay in one place very long. He was a traveler and, no matter how happy he was, the itch to travel would always be stronger. Besides, the Universe needed him. And then there was Sophie. He had no idea what she wanted. He couldn’t make that decision for her. It wasn’t in his nature. He had to give her a choice. He had to take her home and let her decide what it was that she wanted. He knew that it would break his heart but, if she was going to leave, to return to her life, she should do it sooner rather than later. The longer she stayed, the harder it was going to be for him. It always was.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sophie sit up. He turned to look at her. She looked startled, confused. He went to her and sat down next to her. He could tell she was trying to process everything that had happened in the last 2 days. Probably she thought it was all a strange dream. He could understand that. Sometimes his life felt that way to him too. 

Sophie smiled and took the Doctor’s hand. He didn’t resist but he didn’t hold her hand back. Quietly she said, “I’m glad it wasn’t just a dream.” “Me too” he said as he helped her to her feet and led her back into the TARDIS. He played with some dials, entering different combinations before settling on one. Sophie reached for the rail as the now familiar sounds began. 

The Doctor was still standing still at the controls when the noise finally died down. “Where are we going?” Sophie asked. Without turning, the Doctor replied, “nowhere. Not yet anyway.” Sophie was confused but she didn’t say anything. Finally the Doctor turned and told her “you should eat. I will go find you something to eat.” Sophie stared at him. He was different. The joy was missing. All she could see in his eyes was the sadness. She wanted to touch him, to hold him, but his body language was saying that was the last thing he wanted. She was confused, trying to figure out what might have changed. She let him go.  
When the Doctor returned a few minutes later, Sophie was staring toward where he had left. He nodded his head that she should follow and turned toward a different corridor. She followed him back to the library/swimming room and sat in the place where they had sat the day before. He handed her a cuppa tea and some pastry and lowered himself next to her, close but not touching. He didn’t look at her.  
Sophie wasn’t hungry. She put the tea and the pastry next to her and turned to face the Doctor, laying her hand gently on his knee. She felt him flinch just a bit but she didn’t move her hand. His eyes were lowered and he didn’t move to look at her, just stared at her hand on his leg. “What’s wrong?” she asked. “What did I do? I thought that we had a good time? That we were friends?” He sighed. After a pause he answered “We need to talk about something”. He felt her stiffen. Those were words that no one ever wanted to hear, not in the beginning of a relationship especially. She waited for him to find his words. Slowly he began to talk. “I need to take you home.” She still waited, her emotions beginning to tumble. He continued “You and I are very different. I don’t belong in your world and you don’t belong in mine. I have to take you back.” She felt tears coming to her eyes. “But what if I don’t want to go back. Not yet anyway.” He felt some of the weight lifting off of his shoulders. “That would be your choice then. But before you make that choice, you need to know what that will mean. You need to understand who I am. What I do. You need to know that staying with me will change who you are. Your world will never be the same.” “Well isn’t that true with every choice we make? To some degree anyway. Any relationship will change a person. Good or bad. But it’s my choice right?” He nodded. “Ok then” she told him. “Tell me who you are and I will make my decision.” The Doctor looked at her face, into her eyes. He covered her hand with his and began to tell his story.

The Doctors words flowed over her as she listened. She moved back next to him, still holding his hand and leaned her head back to the wall and closed her eyes. His story was fantastic, full of adventure and wonder. It was also heartbreakingly sad. She began to understand him. He lived an amazing life. Almost a thousand years’ worth. Every day was new, a new place, a new time. He thrived on the thrill of life, facing danger with open arms, saving the Universe again and again. He also suffered from great heartbreak. He told her of the loss of his planet, his family and his friends. He explained his hesitation in getting to know her, how everyone he had ever loved had left him behind. 

When he had finally finished Sophie had tears in her eyes. She was squeezing his hand hard. She wanted desperately to tell him that it would all be OK. That she would never leave him. That maybe she even loved him. She couldn’t. She knew that it would all be a lie. She had never been able to be wholly with anyone in her life. It just wasn’t who she was, who she was meant to be. She wanted him to take her home, before it all became unbearable, but she couldn’t tell him that either. She just sat quietly next to him, letting her mixed emotions flow over her like water. 

The Doctor let himself just be. He told Sophie more than he had ever told another being in his life. He told her about Gallifrey, his childhood, his family and their ultimate destruction. He told her many of the wonderful things he had seen in his long life and many of the tragedies. He told her everything that was in his heart. Everything but the one thing he could never tell anyone. When he was done, he looked back at Sophie. She hadn’t moved except for one small tear sitting high on her cheek. He wanted to reach and wipe it away. He wanted her to talk. He wanted to know her choice. He just sat next to her, being as still as she was.

It was a long time before either one of them spoke. Finally Sophie asked in a quiet voice “Will you tell me your name?” The Doctor stiffened but he didn’t answer. Sophie waited quietly. She knew all of what she asking, how hard it was to share that most intimate part. “I can’t” he whispered. She nodded. “I want to” he said. “I really do but…” “I understand” she told him. “I can’t either. Not now. Not yet.” He nodded to her. He knew Sophie wasn’t her name. He knew that the first time she said it. He also knew how much it cost her to even talk about it. For the two of them, the last Time Lord and a thief, their real names were only thing left that was really their own. To give that up was to give up themselves, to cease to be. It was the one thing that they could never share, not even with each other. 

The Doctor turned to face Sophie. He laid his hand softly on her cheek. She raised her eyes to him and he knew what her answer was. She would stay with him for now. They would worry about the consequences later. The nice thing about being a time traveler is that he never had to worry about tomorrow. He leaned in close to her and brushed her lips with his. She smiled before wrapping her arms around him. She let her body melt into his and kissed him back.


End file.
